Those Who Have Been Lost
by Liliana-chan
Summary: Charlotte Franz, a German Witch, comesto Hogwarts in 1994. She is a Beauxbatons Student and there to cheer on the Champion of her school. She meets the Weasley twins and befriends with them three years later she comes back as an exchange student. She is sorted into Ravenclaw and gets to know Draco Malfoy. NO SLASH!
1. Prologue

_Dear Father,_

_I'm having a great time here at the burrow. Al's and Rose's cousins are all staying here, and it is a bit too loud at times. I am even allowed to call Mr. and Mrs. Weasley Molly and Arthur. The have all grown accustomed to my presence and have even begun to accept me as Al's and Rose's friend. I still look very much forward to come home and introduce Rose and Al to you and Mother. _

_Staying here at the burrow has caused two questions to appear in my mind. Rose's Dad – I believe his name is Ron- was not amused to see me. Something about me makes him glare at me. His brother George told me not to take it too seriously and went to tell him, that "he was not the only one who has lost someone.". What exactly did that mean? It puzzles me._

_The other matter is much more trivial, I suppose, but I still wonder about that. There are many couples here. Molly and Arthur, Hermione and Mr. Weasley, Harry and Ginny, and all the others. They look at each other very differently from the way you look at Mother. Is there a certain reason behind that?_

_I hope my questions don't make you feel too uneasy. You don't have to answer, if you don't want to._

_Say hi to Mother, Grandfather, and to Grandmother from me._

_Love_

_ Scorpius_

_Dear Son,_

_Thank you for your letter. It's great to hear that you are well and having fun. Your mother was overjoyed about your owl. I believe she was a bit crestfallen when she realized it was only meant for me._

_To answer your questions: Granger, I mean Mrs. Weasley, Weasley, Potter and I were enemies at school. We fought a lot. I said a lot of things, I did not mean, and behaved in a way I shouldn't have. Adding to those childish bickers was my shameful role in the War. I suppose Ronald still bears a grudge against me, which I have accepted. He probably is right. But you are not me, so he should really let it not out on you._

_Now to the other question. As you may know, many have died in the War and before it. The Weasleys, being part of the Order of Phoenix, lost many close friends, such as Alastor Moody, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, and even a family member. Fred Weasley. Ronald seems to think that our side, the evil side has lost no one. Or at least the ones who died deserved to die. Maybe he is right about that. But in fact I lost someone important to me as well._

_Which leads me to your last question: I look differently at your mother than all the Weasley/Potter couples. I know that. It's not like I don't love your mother, I really do. But not as much as I am supposed to, not as much as she deserves. _

_Responsible for that is a woman that I met several years ago._

_ Charlotte 'Kitty' Franz..._

**I believe this takes place between Scorpius', Albus' and Rose's second and third year. He spends some time at the burrow with his friends and notices some things. So he asks his father. I really had my problems not picturing Ron to bad in Draco's response. And I guess it is weird for Draco to not refer to them Granger, Potter and Weasley (he does at one point ;) ), so he sticks with writing 'Ronald' later on.**

**Next time:**

**Charlotte was born in Germany. Her mother was a French witch, her father a German muggleborn. Her parents met through the respective ministries, and fell in love. They married and soon after Charlotte and her twin brother Carsten were born. Due to the second Muggle World War, Germany's Wizarding School was destroyed. They had to go elsewhere for magical education. While Carsten went to Durmstrang, Charlotte visited, like her mother, Beauxbaton. The first time I saw her was in 1994, at the Triwizarding Tournament... _[TBC]_**


	2. Meeting Her

Charlotte was born in Germany. Her mother was a French witch, her father a German muggle born. Her parents met through the respective ministries, and fell in love. They married and soon after Charlotte and her twin brother Carsten were born. Due to the second Muggle World War, Germany's Wizarding School was destroyed. They had to go elsewhere for magical education. While Carsten went to Durmstrang, Charlotte visited, like her mother, Beauxbaton. The first time I saw her was in 1994, at the Triwizarding Tournament.

Hogwarts was hosting it in that year, and Durmstrang and Beauxbaton came to Britain to take part in it. I remember sitting at the Slytherin table. It was the beginning of my fourth year. The headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, was just finished explaining what was going to happen in Hogwarts that year, when the door opened and they stormed in. The graceful ladies of Beauxbaton. Every male pupil stared in awe as they gracefully swept past us.

It was not the beautiful part-Veela Fleur Delacour, now Weasley, that had caught my eye, but rather a short brunette in the last row that swept past the Slytherin table. She stood out. She was more graceful than most female Hogwarts students, but nothing in comparison to the other French students. She seemed to feel uneasy, as she was blushing, aware of standing out.

I watched her, as she went to sit with her school mates at the Ravenclaw table. Her blue grey eyes lit up, when the door opened once again. Now, after many years I know why. She knew Durmstrang pupils were going to arrive, and looked forward to seeing her brother again.

They really were twins. They resembled each other a lot, the same hair colour and structure, the same eyes. Of course she was a lot smaller than her brother, and while he was lean and trained, she appeared to have, in comparison to all her thin class mates, a chubbier figure.

But neither of them were supposed to be there really. Only the top of the senior classes were allowed to take part in the tournament. I remember the Weasley twins trying to overcome a magical border, although only a couple of months too young.

A few days later we learned from Professor Moody (Our DADA teacher back then), that all three schools had a more different curriculum. While Durmstrang seemed to teach a bit of dark magic, too, Beauxbaton had, next to subjects similar to Charms and DADA, etiquette, dancing and other classes that "would not make them stand a chance against Dark Magic.". When we had free subjects we were allowed to visit their classes, just like they were allowed to visit ours.

It puzzled me that the girl, who appeared to be in my age, and so different from her classmates, was at the castle. It was only later, a few days before the first Hogsmead afternoon, that I found out why.

It was more of a coincidence, that I saw her and her Headmistress in an formerly empty class room. They did not know I was there, but that did not matter. Madame Maxime was giving her instructions in French, that I did not understand, but I soon realized that she was privately tutored by the Headmistress.

The reason for her coming along to Hogwarts was, that she seemed to do poorly at dancing and required to have private lessons. At the next day, in Hogsmead, I realized that she seemed to be a loner, and her brother did not seem to care. While he was flirting with a Hufflepuff third year girl, she sat left alone by him and her Beauxbaton classmates. She was sitting in the Three Broomsticks alone at a table meant for four people. She seemed uneasy and rather shy fumbling with her hands.

I wanted to help her, but I was a model Slytherin. I couldn't have just gone over to her and say "Hi I'm Draco, let's be friends." I was no Hufflepuff, or Gryffindor, who would just do that. I had just gathered enough courage to jump over my Slytherin shadow, when Fred and George Weasley, along with Lee Jordan, had invited themselves to sit with her.

She laughed with them, talked with them. I don't know what they talked about, but I do know, that she joined them for their lessons, when she had a free one, while the twins visited her in their free lessons. She was involved in some of their pranks, I know that. But she has always been able to pull them out of problems.

All in All she visited two of my classes: A Potions class, where she partnered with Hermione Granger, and a DADA class in which Moody 'let' her practice a charm with us. She was quite skilled at both, I observed, and looked a lot more comfortable than in her dance lessons, or the etiquette classes, that Hogwarts boys visited, and some girls were allowed to take part in.

I saw her standing with the twins at the first task of the tournament. She did not cheer for her school representative Fleur, but for Harry Potter, along with the Gryffindors. Her classmates were not really amused by that. I believe it only made her be alone even more. There even had been some rumours about her moving to the Gryffindor tower, due to bullying by the Beauxbaton's girls.

It was as if she was not a Beauxbaton student any more, but a Hogwarts. After a fight with Madame Maxime, she dropped her school uniform and put on a Gryffindor one in stead, out of protest. "You know, Fred, I am so fed up with Madame Maxime and her perfect Fleur. Only because she is beautiful and seems to be right from a 'conte de fées'. Don't laugh Madame Maxime really says that. I would rather visit Hogwarts.", I once heard her tell Fred Weasley in the Three Broomsticks one November afternoon. She was the only Beauxbaton student, who was able to speak accent free English. She was brought up speaking English, as her parents could not communicate in either of their first languages.

Childishly I tried to work up the courage to ask her for the Yule Ball. When I finally did in one of my free lessons in the library she only smiled at me in an apologizing way and said she had been asked by someone else. Thinking it was Fred Weasley (as George went with Angelina Johnson), I began to torment their friend Harry Potter even more.

To the ball I went with Pansy Parkinson, a girl from my year.


	3. Yule Ball

I was more than surprised, when I saw Charlotte having linked arms with Sasha Selen, a Durmstrang, walking into the Great Hall. As I mentioned beforehand, I thought she would go with Fred Weasley. It seemed that the older male from Durmstrang had asked first. She seemed to talk to him excitedly, but he only rolled his eyes annoyed.

Back then I did not, and could not, understand how one could be annoyed by her. Pansy pulled at my dress robes more than once, to get my attention back to her. From the brunette in the blue petticoat dress. Fred seemed to have gone a lone, which seemed to be his luck. Otherwise it would have been the same for him, as his eyes were on the brunette all the time.

Just when the 'formal' part of the ball was over, and the 'Weird Sisters' began to play their songs, I lost sight of Charlotte. My eyes searched through the mass of students and teachers dancing to the up beat songs. Soon I decided to look after her company, as Sasha was far better to spot, due to being almost 2 metres tall.

I had went to stand by the refreshment table, when I saw Fred Weasley leaving the hall raging furious. I decided to follow him, since wherever Fred was, Charlotte could not be that far. On my way out, I saw Granger- I mean Hermione- bickering with Ronald, and Harry sitting by them annoyed, from the corner of my eye. Also I saw Sasha dancing closely with a tall, thin, black haired Beauxbaton. He must have dumped Charlotte.

I was just about to turn around the corner into the next corridor, when I heard two voices. I halted and decided to eavesdrop.

"That bloody idiot! Wait till I see him! I will definitely-", I heard Fred Weasley growl, Charlotte cut him off. She sounded tired and her voice was a bit hoarse. I concluded that she must have cried. "No you will not, Fred. He only did a favour to my brother in the first place. I don't care." "Then why did you cry?"

A sob sounded through the corridor. Charlotte seemed to be crying again. "I don't know, either. I suspected something like that to happen. I suppose I only told myself that there is a guy, who is interested in me. Who likes me. Even when I'm not the typical Beauxbaton student. But I guess I was wrong. I will die lonely.", she tried to joke, to ease the tension, which did not exactly work. I heard Fred taking a breath, presumably to answer, but a new voice interrupted him.

"There you are! Sasha has already told me about everything. Charlie", that seemed to be Carsten's nick name for his sister "I wanted to do you some good, for once, and you louse it up. That was your chance to belong. To be part of the others from your school. You embarrassed yourself, sis, and me, as well. It really is a shame to be related to you.", Carsten almost yelled and I peeked around the corner.

Fred was seated on the floor against a window. He looked to the other side, so I was not able to see his face. Charlotte had leapt to her feet, and she looked at her brother, who only glared at her, with wide eyes. His words had cut her deeply. Believe me, if I had not heard the whole matter with my own ears I would not have believed Fred Weasley sounding so cold. The red head slowly stood up from his position on the floor and mounted up in front of Carsten. "Charlie is my brother. So you must be talking to Kitty, you mountain troll. You know what? You must be the worst brother that I ever saw, Are you sure you are related to her?" "I'm her twin, you dimwit, I know her better than anyone!", Carsten responded. "Doesn't seem like it. It would have been an outrage already if you were her brother and said those things. But a twin saying something like that is no twin. Do you have dragonshit for brains?" "Who are you to talk to me like that any way? What would you know about being a twin?", Carsten growled and Fred answered "Fred Weasley. I'm your sister's good- no wait- best friend. When she was ignored or harassed by her schoolmates, you had other things to do than to defend her. For instance going out with some Hufflepuff girls. You knew perfectly well, how she was treated by the others and did nothing. She searched someone else to spend time with, and my twin brother and I were happy to help. You go back to the Hall now, where you punch your idiot friend in the face, for what he did to Kitty, and we might forget this little conversation."

To give more pressure to his words, Fred got his wand out. Carsten rolled his eyes, turned on his heel ,and hurried past me off towards the Great Hall.

"Thanks.", with those words Charlotte got back my, and Fred's attention back to herself. "Don't mention it. That mountain troll really deserved that. I can't believe he is supposed to be related to you. Well... where did we leave off? Oh right, you were talking some nonsense, that was untrue. Just because those Durmstrangs only have dragonshit for brains, does not mean that you should think such things. That idiot did not deserve you attention any ways.", Fred winked at her encouragingly, ans Charlotte blushed almost immediately. "But...", Charlotte began, but before she could finish her sentence, Fred had already pulled her into an embrace.

As you may have guessed from this incredibly long (believe me it will be even longer), I had a rather huge crush on the insecure brunette. This was the reason why I left them there alone. To not agonize myself any further.

Pansy was more than happy to see me coming back to her, and I noticed Sasha having a bloody nose. Carsten stood on the other side of the room glaring at him. I suppose he acted on Fred's 'advice'/threat.

Hardly half an hour Fred and Charlotte came back into the room. Charlotte's face was free from any signs, showing she had cried. She beamed, when she and Fred went over to George and Angelina Johnson, and the four began to dance.

Shortly before 11pm, rather early for such an evening, I decided to get back to the dormitories. Pansy had decided to take care of Sasha, together with the Beauxbaton from earlier.


	4. Piano

I did not see Charlotte much until the third task, but I heard much about her. Her brother, being Durmstrang, and in my age, often sat with us Slytherins. Carsten often told us that he and his sister were on good terms now, and that he would probably sit with her, if she was not sitting at the Gryffindor table. "It's not that I don't like the Gryffindors. But it would not really be loyal to sit with the House of the Fourth Champion, would it? There is enough uproar about Victor and that Granger girl.", Carsten had told me once. To be honest, Carsten and I had become better friends than either of us would have expected – not that we would ever admit that.

I saw her sitting with the Weasley twins, Lee Jordan, and Angelina Johnson at the third task. Us spectators were not really able to see what happened in the maze, only Bagman's commentary revealed what was going on. Krum had been under the influence of an Imperius curse, and attacked the Fleur Delacour. Potter and a boy named Cedric went for the Cup together. Only to disappear. "What the- What's happening? Albus? They disappeared? A Port-Key? How?...", Bagman sounded confused and none of the judges or teachers seemed to have an explanation on what was happening.

A murmur went through the crowd and Charlotte was nibbling nervously at a chocolate wand. No one knew how many time passed until Harry and Cedric came back. Potter was crying, and at first we Slytherins swore not to let him forget that. Until it was clear what had happened.

Cedric Diggory was dead. Potter screamed in agony claiming that '_he was back_'. Back then nobody believed him that Lord Voldemort indeed had gone back to life.

Following after that were dark days. All three schools attended the funeral the next day. Durmstrang and Beauxbatons left the day after. Charlotte went back to France. But I dare say: Neither the Weasley twins, nor I would ever forget her. The only difference: They were friends with her and she owled them (it was hard to miss the foreign Scops owl, although it was tiny), she probably did not even know of my existence. I decided to forget her.

Two and a half years later, shortly before the 2nd Wizarding War, I received a letter by Blaise Zabini. Charlotte had gone to Hogwarts to finish her school career. She was hanging around Ginny Weasley, now Potter, a lot. Blaise said it was because Charlotte and Fred were rumoured to be a couple. I had not gone back to Hogwarts, and my house was the centre of Death Eater meetings.  
"_Maybe you should know, Draco. She's in Rawenclaw. But on the Gryffindors' side. She fights the teachers. I heard Professor Carrow telling Snape of her misbehaviour._", although we never had been that close, Blaise always had a thing of looking right threw me. He knew about my feelings for Charlotte, that I had believed to suppressed by then_._

I overheard my mother talking to Snape back then. They were talking about a girl. Your grandmother told Snape to keep her misbehaviour secret. She did not want any innocent people to suffer, in contrast to the many other Death Eaters. Mother only wanted to protect those dear to her. Her sister, my father and me.

At the weekly Death Eaters meeting with the Dark Lord Alecto stood up, although I am sure Severus had told her not to, and told Voldemort about Charlotte. "She's almost as annoying as Weasley, Lovegood, or Longbottom. She was the one disrupting my class with a joke article that her blood traitor boyfriend sells.", she snarled and I suppressed the need to swallow.

Severus must have noticed the shock going through me. The Dark Lord would surely have wanted to see her dead. In that moment my feelings came back. I knew my eyes betrayed me. Severus cleared his throat "Ah, yes, Alecto I remember now. I would have done something about it far earlier. If I had not been so busy. But I do fear we cannot kill her. For one, the girl has only met one side here in England, has she not? We cannot blame her for her naivety, can we? The Manor has grown a bit- let's say quiet. My Lord how about we let her show her coming to senses, and be on our side. Draco has her brother not told you, that she was quite talented in playing the piano?", Severus asked me and I nodded mutely.

"Then be it like that. Next week we're going to get the Lovegood girl anyway. Her father has been publishing some outraging things again. We can take her here then as well.", Voldemort smirked, standing up. This way he resolved the meeting.

Before he left for Hogwarts I made sure to see Severus privately. "Thank you.", was all I could muster to say, the black haired man in front of me nodded. He suddenly seemed much older than he really was. The expression on his face made him seem over 70, which I know he was not. He must have been in his late 30s by then.

Three weeks later the two Ravenclaw girls were dragged into the manor. Charlotte was seized by her hands, while Luna was dragged in by her hair. While Luna was carried away, I was supposed to take Charlotte to the grand piano in an old ballroom in Malfoy manor. It had been in use since the foregoing century.

"I remember you. You're the blonde boy who always made fun of Fred and George's family and friends.", she was calm, polite. "My name is Draco.", I remember introducing myself. And she only shook her head. "Why am I here?", she asked me and suddenly my shoes had been very interesting "The Dark Lord has agreed to keep you alive, if you play the piano for him. Your brother told me you could."

"You know, I'd rather be with Luna.",she threw towards me and I sighed. "So you'd rather be tortured or worse killed, than playing the piano. You know, if you sooth the Dark Lord you could bring him to set the Lovegood free, or to leave the Weasleys alone.", I explained to her calmly. She rolled her eyes at me. "Charlotte, please, just do as I say. Play the piano for him." "What gives you the right to call me like that?"

Our conversation was interrupted by the door being thrown open. Charlotte's eyes widened in fear when the Dark Lord stepped in, followed by Bellatrix. My aunt had seized Luna by the hair again and dragged her into the room. With her wand she lifted the blonde up into the air and got a dagger ready to cut the Lovegood's skin. I felt Charlotte's gaze on me, and turned to her, urging her towards the piano with a nod.

Carefully she stepped over to the piano, lifting the cover. She carefully pressed the first key. And began to play. The high melody and rhythm of the right hand blending in with the harmonies of the left hand. Silently a house elf brought over a heavy armchair in which the Dark Lord sat down. I watched wearily as he closed his eyes listening in on the sad song. Several times she ended a phrase in a decrescendo, making it seem like she finished. Each time she did so she looked at Luna, then at Bellatrix, then at Voldemort and lastly at me. Not wanting to endanger her friend any more, she went on, beginning the middle part with a quicker rhythm, but with same themes. The Dark Lord seemed pleased, so Bellatrix loosed her grip on the dagger. When she was back at a Reprise part of the music piece, tears filled Charlotte's eyes, threatening to spill at the last accord.

When she was finished, the Dark Lord stood up wordlessly and left. "Next time, Draco, let her dress in something more fancy. I am sure you can borrow one of my sisters' dresses. She will be left in your watch. So be careful, that she is no traitor.", Bellatrix cackled evilly and turned with a now unconscious Luna.

"It's hard to say goodbye.", Charlotte mumbled, looking emptily at the white and black keys in front of her. Her hands were folded on her lap. "Pardon?", I asked not quite understanding the context. "The song's name it 'It's hard to say goodbye'. And I believe, I now know the meaning.", she looked at her hands now. Smiling sadly at her, I extended my hand to her. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up. I fear my mother's clothes could be not fitting you. But maybe my aunts Andromeda's will fit. Mother kept it after...", I trailed off. I did not know whether it was the right time to tell her things about my family, yet. She nodded. "Can I... send an owl to Fred, let him know I'm alive and well? I promise I won't tell him where I am.", she mumbled and I responded "Yes."

My mother had taken her sister's old robes to Malfoy Manor, when Andromeda had married that muggleborn Ted Tonks. Charlotte went into the wardrobe room, where my aunts clothes were kept. Instead of waiting outside I went to fetch an owl, a piece of parchment and a quill. When I had come back Charlotte had changed. She wore an emerald green dress, that reached the floor. The sleeves were tight until her elbow, widening there in ruffles. Her collar was ruffled as well, and she held a pea green coloured corset in her right hand. On a table at the side lay a black belt of fabric, and black gloves. "Could you help me with this?", she asked me, with the corset in hand. I nodded and helped her into it, binding it not too tight. She thanked me, and I noticed her hair had grown longer, and was reaching the downer part of her shoulders now.

After putting on the gloves, the belt and a pair of black shoes, I took her with me to an empty guest room next to mine. She wrote the letter to Fred and sent the owl away.

I tried to keep her company as much as I could, much to the dismay of my father. Every week the Dark Lord would come and listen to her playing piano. The first weeks she always played the same saddening song. "Play another song, half-blood!", Bellatrix screeched then. Charlotte met my eyes for a second and I urged her to go on. This one was quicker in the tempo than the other one, but even sadder. Though more Major-Harmonies sounded through the room, the huge contrast expressed not only sadness, as had the one before, but also despair. It had more influences of a classical piano piece. She leaned into the piano and started into the development part of the music with a huge crescendo, before reducing the volume once more. She developed the main themes and brought them to a climax with again a huge crescendo, before returning to a recapitulation. Sitting with her back to the Dark Lord, he could not see the tears streaming down Charlotte's face. No one could, to be exact. Except for me.

Without a word, the Dark Lord left, once she was finished, together with my parents and my aunt. Charlotte and I were alone in the room. I watched her standing up and she flung herself into my arms, sobbing heavily. "Draco,", she sobbed "I miss him so much. I can't go on much longer without him. Please let me go.", she begged. Tears were standing in my eyes. "I can't", I was surprised that the sound was able to leave my mouth. "You know I can't let you go, Charlotte. Not only would I endanger my life. He would surely come to kill you. I don't want that."

"I DON'T CARE IF I DIE! I want to see him again, Draco, please.", she started sobbing harder and I was afraid she might hyperventilate. My heart was breaking to see her like that. "If I let you go now, he'll go for Weasley first! He knows, Charlotte, and he will take away what's most important to you first.", I whispered, and tried to sooth her, before I helped her upstairs gently. I brought her to her room, where she could calm down in silence.

She was still upset, when the Dark Lord came the next day. He addressed her directly for the first time. "I want to hear another song, as the one yesterday. A one not so sad, if you please." Charlotte locked eyes with me and I wanted to stop her. She was going to show her fight to him. That she would never give up fighting.

The song was not sad, but showing her desire to break free. It was encouraging, although a great part of the song played in minor harmonies. She crescendoed and began an even harder part. She had a pissed off expression on her face and her eyes were closed. She placed an effective decrescendo, only to crescendo again right after leading to a recapitulation. She led the music through it and ended coupling a decrescendo with a ritardando.

"How dare you play such a piece for the Dark Lord, half-blood!", Bellatrix seethed getting her wand out. "Bella, calm down, I'm sure Charlotte did not mean to upset the Dark Lord.", my mother's voice spoke up, and I was glad about that. "I think we are just misinterpreting her song. Draco maybe you could bring her back into her room, so she can calm down. I fear she has been in a sad mood the whole day.", I did as my mother told me, careful not to let Charlotte speak. I led her out of the room. Later on I heard the Dark Lord leaving.

Like in her first days at the manor she sat at her window, her back to me, and did not talk to me.

**Songs that I listened throughout writing the chapter:  
"**_**It's Hard To Say Goodbye**_**" by Michael Ortega (**** www. youtube**** watch?v=a_Am4cHMBKM**)**) I imagine this being the first song Charlotte is playing**

"_**A Breathtaking Piano Piece**_**" by Jervy Hou (**** www. youtube watch?v=zRvhQ5Rf6-U****) This would be the second song I imagine her playing **

"_**Never Give Up!**_**" by Kay Tokner (**** www. youtube watch?v=ynHsL26IGnk****) and this would be the last one.**

**To anyone who gets the historical reference/similarity to implied here: Yes it is intended. **

**To anyone who does not: Feel free to PM me.**

**~Liliana-Chan **


	5. Goodbye

The Dark Lord did not come back for a long time. Charlotte was bored out of her mind, but not willing to do anything connected to Voldemort and the Deatheaters. At her request I got her some books. Without anyone's knowing I smuggled some apparation tutorial books into her room.

Upon her bewildered gaze I figured she had seen the books. "I figured you could use them. But don't use it too soon.", I told her. "Thank you, Draco.", she smiled sadly, and I nodded. More then once would she tag along with me, when I sat in the sitting room with my father and my mother. She always took a book with her, but would never read, as my mother would always engage her in a conversation. In those one to two hours we sat together in front of a sizzling fire, it almost felt like there was no war going outside, and Charlotte almost seemed content.

Except that she did not eat much. Each time I saw her I was aghast on how much weight she lost in the past weeks. She looked sickly thin, in comparison to her chubby figure. Since her last time playing piano for the Dark Lord I knew she did not belong to our side. To Malfoy Manor. She did not belong to me.

Then came the time, when Scabior and the other Snatchers brought Ronald, Hermione and a greatly deformed Harry to our Manor. I had seen them from afar and had recognized them at once. Before heading down into the sitting room, I hurried to Charlotte. "It's time. Wait until there are loud noises from downstairs, pretend to come and check what is going on. Wait for my sign.", I told her and she nodded understanding. She called out my name when I was about to go out the door and I stopped. "Thank you for everything.", without turning I went on downstairs.

In the following half an hour, a lot happened: I was supposed to identify Harry, but I purposely said I was not sure it really was him, due to his deformed face. I watched Ronald and Harry being thrown into the dungeon of our Manor. Then Bellatrix began to torture Hermione. I heard Ronald's desperate cries from afar. This must have been the time when Charlotte came down. I saw her from the corner of my eye. She stood in the hallway her eyes opened wide in shock, with tears in her eyes. This whole situation may be another reason, why Ronald does not seem to like you (apart from the century old rivalry between out families, and my rivalry with the Golden Trio). I was to much of a coward to stop my aunt from putting the _Cruciatus_ Curse on Hermione.

She still stood there frozen, when Harry and Ronald had fled from the cellar, and came running into the room. My mother and I took it upon us to duel them, as my father was disarmed right away and my aunt was still torturing Hermione. Several moments later, I had lost my wand to Potter, my father was about to call the Dark Lord, Ronald had leaned Hermione against him and our former House-elf Dobby appeared. Giving Charlotte a sign, she hid behind the Golden Trio, touching the elf to disapparate out of the Manor. Later I learned, that she had, before being sighted by an old acquaintance of her, Fleur, apparated to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes.

The next time I saw her, was at the Battle of Hogwarts. I had just been rescued by none other than Harry Potter, out the Room of Requirement, where a fire had been set back then. I believe the Room is still destroyed? Either that or no one went there since the Fire. I was running around the castle, I do not remember the reason quite clearly, but when I rounded a corner, I saw her standing with Fred, George and Angelina.

They were having an argument. It seemed like it was Fred and George against the girls. "You cannot forbid us to fight, guys. We're both of age. We can do what we want to!", Charlotte brought forth, and the twins shared a look. The last time I saw one of them not joking, was at the Yule ball, when Fred had told Carsten off. It was an awkward thing to see: The Weasley twins being serious. "Kitty, Ange, really, we don't want to see you two hurt. Please just go down to the infirmary and help the first aid team.", one of them begged, and the other only nodded. "We won't.", Angelina retorted, stepping closer to one, hugging him around the middle (which led me to the conclusion that that twin was George.). "We'll fight with you.", Charlotte smiled at the other, who only sighed in defeat. "Freddie, it seems we have found ourself some women." "I know, Georgie, they're as stubborn as our mother.", the two laughed. Angelina and Charlotte grinned at each other. Then on mutual understanding the twins winked at each other "You are so whipped.", they told each other simultaneously. Then the four went into the other direction, all having their wands out.

I decided to not follow them, and when evening came, and Harry went for the Dark Lord (I believe you learnt about that from your History teacher, if not ask Rose, she seems to be a walking library, like her mother), and I hid in the shadows of the castle. I did not hear of anything happening until later. I only spotted her in the crowd standing behind Neville Longbottom, when the Dark Lord, and his followers came to the castle with a 'dead' Harry. Her gaze was empty, she had cried. Her posture was crestfallen. When she stood next to George, who looked just as forlorn, I concluded that Fred had died.

The Fred Weasley that meant everything to Charlotte.

My family and I fled the war scene and to our Manor. It took weeks until the Aurors came to get my father, for he was the only one to be sent to Askaban. Harry seemed to have spoken in favour of me and my mother.

The last time I saw Charlotte, was when she visited me, two weeks after the funeral of the fallen. She was a shadow of her old self. She looked older than the 17 she was back then. Dressed all in black, she might as well have been a mid forty widow. "I've come to say goodbye, Draco. I want to thank you, and your family for everything. Without you, I probably would not be standing here right now. I've tried my hardest to go on without Fred -", she stopped for a second, biting down tears, "but I can't. They tell me it will get better in time. Your aunt Andromeda told me so. You may know that your uncle Ted is dead. Andromeda told me I would not feel so empty any more, that I should go and find myself a function. That when I find one, I would get my mind off it. But I can't. George told me, that I sound like a prepubescent girl, who had broken up with her boyfriend. He told me, that Fred wouldn't want us to mourn his death. I'm sure he's right about that... But I just can't help it. I know you don't understand it, Draco. I know you don't want me to go. For the same reason why you took me in. It's not like I didn't know- I'm sorry, Draco. I have to go."

After a last embrace, she went out. And I let her go.

It was a week later, when I got the invitation to her funeral. She seemed to have taken a too heavy sleeping potion, making it look like it was an accident that she died. Most believed the accident theory, but upon seeing George back then, we both came to a silent understanding, that it was no accident.

She was buried right next to Fred, in the backyard of Hogwarts.

I am still mourning her death today, you could say she was my first big love. And it really is true, that you will always feel something for you first love. I do not know, how far Ronald is informed of the whole matter, I know George knows everything. If Ronald does not know, it probably was Charlotte, or Fred's wish to be like that. Please keep the whole story a secret then.

_After this long, hopefully not too depressing, letter, I hope I could answer some of your questions, and please know that your mother and I wish you a great holiday at the burrow._

_Draco Malfoy_

_p.s. Don't let the Weasel go"_

**No this is not the end, yet. An epilogue is still on the work (Although I really don't know who I'm writing this to, seeing as this story has no reviews, favourites, or alerts.)**

**It was hard to not make Charlotte so overly Mary-Sue that she could ride into the castle on a white horse and rescue Fred from Death with a spell. **

**~Liliana-chan**


	6. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

If any one had told Draco that one day he would be sitting in St. Mungos' waiting room with Ronald and Hermione Weasley, waiting for their grandchild to be born, he would have thought that person was probably crazy. Nonetheless it really was like this. During the four hours they already had waited there, the rest of the Weasley-Potter-Lupin clan had come in. The waiting seemed endless, and Astoria had fallen asleep against Draco's shoulder.

The door opened and a nurse stood in the door. "The Malfoys?", she asked and Draco nudged his wife awake. "Mrs. Malfoy has asked for the grandparents and her godfather first.", she smiled, upon seeing the huge family begin to move. Yawning George stood up and stretched himself, before following Ron, Hermione, Draco, Astoria and the nurse.

The nurse knocked on the door to Rose's room waiting for the tired voice asking them to come in. The young couple sat on the bad. Both looked worn out, Rose more than Scorpius. His left arm was draped around his wife's waist, his right held a pink bundle, together with his wife. They smiled upon seeing their family members enter.

"How are you feeling, honey?", Hermione asked Rose, who only smiled and said she was happy. Scorpius stood up to hug his mother, and his mother-in-law. "It's a girl. We have decided that her name should be Charlotte, if that is alright with you?" Draco's mouth fell open. "Why shouldn't it be alright?", Ronald asked and George chuckled "The question wasn't meant for you, idiot." Suddenly Draco felt all eyes turn to him. "It actually was Rose's idea. I hope you don't mind me telling her, I can't keep anything secret from her."

Draco, being overwhelmed by his feelings, only nodded, not sure whether his voice would be working.

In his lost brother's stead, George answered "I'm sure Kitty would have loved it."

**That's it... somehow I'm really not satisfied with this Epilogue. Maybe I'll rewrite it at some time.**


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